Spanish racing driver (1903–1960)
In this
Spanish name, the first or paternal
surname is
Jover and the second or maternal family name is
Sañes.
Juan Jover Sañes (23 November 1903 – 28 June 1960) was a Spanish racing driver, born in Barcelona. With Paco Godia, Jover was the first Spanish driver to compete in Formula One.[1]
Jover raced for Scuderia Milano-Maserati in the 1947 Bari Grand Prix, where he finished sixth,[2] and in the 1948 Albi Grand Prix, where he came seventh.[3] He then finished second in the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans with Henri Louveau.[4]
In 1951 he participated in the Formula One 1951 Spanish Grand Prix, qualifying 18th, but he did not start the race after blowing his engine.[5]
Jover then switched to hillclimbing, and also endurance racing with Scuderia Pegaso. He suffered serious injuries to his left leg when he crashed his Pegaso Z-102 during trials for the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, but returned to hillclimbing in June 1954.[6] In 1957, he won the Gran Premio de Barajas in a Maserati 200S, and the following year he won the La Rabassada hillclimb, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300SL.[6]
Jover died in a road accident in 1960, when his convertible left the road and fell off a cliff near Sitges in Catalonia.[6]
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